The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Durrell Watkins at
the Sunshine Cathedral on
Sunday, June 29, 2008.
My great-aunt Gladys and great-uncle Arthur loved going to the State Fair
every year. And every year, my great-aunt would tell Uncle Arthur, “Let’s take
the helicopter ride.”
But Uncle Arthur was a little, frugal, and whereas rollercoaster and Ferris
wheel and carousel rides were only a few tickets each, a helicopter ride cost
an arms length of tickets worth about $30. So Uncle Arthur would always say,
“The helicopter ride is $30, and $30 is $30.”
One year, Aunt Gladys and Uncle Arthur were at the fair, and Aunt Gladys
put her foot down. She said, “Arthur, we’re in our 80’s and if we don’t ride
this ride this year we may not be up to it next year. This could be our last
chance.” To which Uncle Arthur replied, “$30 is $30!”
The pilot heard this discussion and took pity on my great-aunt. He wanted
to help out but he didn’t want to hear a lot of bickering. So, he told them,
“Folks, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take you on a ride for free IF you can stay
quiet for the entire ride. If I hear a peep out either one of you, it’s $30.
But if you stay quiet, the ride’s on me.”
Well, Uncle Arthur didn’t object to a free ride, so off they went. The
pilot really did his best to show my great-aunt and great-uncle a good time.
He wanted what was probably going to be their only helicopter ride to be a
thrilling one, so he made figure-eights in the air, turned sideways, did all
kinds of crazy things so that this one ride would be something they would
remember and cherish forever.
When they landed, the pilot said, “Good for you! The ride is free because I
never heard a peep out of you.” To which Aunt Gladys replied, “Well, to be
honest, I almost said something when Arthur fell out, but $30 is $30.”
That was kind of a harsh story, but our gospel reading is another harsh
text. So, we may as well take a look at it.
In the tenth chapter of Matthew’s gospel, we see Jesus talking about
mission. The chapter opens with Jesus summoning his disciples and telling them
to reach out to the world and to announce that the Kingdom of God is at hand.
And what that seems to mean is that his followers are to go about ministering
to the sick, touching the untouchables, loving the unlovable, and offering
hope to people who need it most. Creating a community of justice-love is the
mission of the followers of Jesus.
Now, that phrase “kingdom of God” is so common to us, it doesn’t strike us
as it would have people in the first century. In Caesar’s Empire, one does not
announce a new kingdom. Imagine declaring Fort Lauderdale a new republic! I
bet things would get interesting, and by interesting I mean ugly, pretty fast.
Talk of a new kingdom made some wonder if Jesus was trying to foment a
revolution. Why do you suppose he was killed?
I doubt if Jesus ever had any desire to take up arms against Rome; but the
truth is, a message of inclusion that says every person without exception has
dignity and sacred value is, even still, quite revolutionary. And it still
makes the keepers of power nervous and sometimes even violent.
By verse 16, Matthew’s Jesus is very frank. He says, “I am sending you out
like sheep among wolves…” He tells them to be careful because charges will be
brought against them. Preaching a new kingdom was considered treasonous and
there may be severe consequences.
The mission Jesus gives to his disciples is a dangerous one, but he says,
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul… Are not
two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground
without God knowing about it… So, do not be afraid. You are worth more than
many sparrows.”
The mission of Jesus, according to Matthew, is costly, but somehow worth
the risk.
And that brings us to verses 37-42 which is the end of the chapter. And
today’s reading is consistent with the rest of the chapter. Followers of Jesus
may lose privilege, position, comfort, even security. But if we all commit to
being bold followers of Jesus, we will be forming a community wherein we never
have to face the difficulties alone. Someone is always here to encourage us,
or to share a cup of water when it is needed.
That’s a difficult message in some ways, especially in our culture where
Christianity isn’t the underground movement it was for Matthew’s community. In
our culture, being Christian places you in the majority. But in Matthew’s day,
being a follower of Jesus involved risk and yet, the Community of Christ felt
called to take those risks in order to establish a divine Realm where peace
and justice could finally be known. Faith wasn’t holding a safe opinion; faith
was the power to act… to make a difference.
We must remember that Matthew’s gospel is being written half a century
after Rome executes Jesus and about 15 years after Rome destroys the Temple of
Jerusalem. After these terrifying events, the person we’re calling Matthew is
saying to his community, “DON’T GIVE UP. As horrible as things seem, do not
give up! Doing the work of justice is what identifies us as followers of
Jesus. The threat of death didn’t stop him and we can’t let it stop us.”
The Religious Right may be roaring its rhetoric of rage and its pugnacious
piety. Some states may try to write discrimination into their constitutions.
The housing market may be in shambles and gas prices may be crippling, BUT
DON’T GIVE UP. Keep doing the work of establishing a better kin-dom of
justice-love, right in the midst of all this anxiety.
Matthew won’t let us forget that Jesus stands in the prophetic tradition of
challenging oppression and calling for progressive change. Yes, Love was his
motivation, but his love wasn’t an empty sentimentality; it was justice-love.
Love of neighbor that was so radical it included the Other… people in the
margins of his society… women, children, the ancient enemies of his people —
the Canaanites, the poor, Samaritans, lepers… people religion and government
and society said were inferior or disposable or even evil.
Jesus’ power was the power of love… Justice-love… Love in Action.
Advocating even for people religious leaders condemned. Surely that speaks to
us in some way???
Even though Christianity has a more privileged status in our culture than
it does in some others and than it did in Matthew’s, we are still followers of
the one who risked everything to make the world more just. To follow him is to
follow his example, and even for us, that won’t always be easy.
We don’t have creeds and doctrinal litmus tests around here, but we do
share some progressive, positive, practical principles which I believe are
exactly the principles Jesus lived by. One of the ways we sum up those
principles is in the Eight Points of Progressive Christianity.
The seventh of those eight points reminds that we hope to “Form ourselves
into communities dedicated to equipping one another for the
work
we feel called to do: striving for peace and justice
among all people… and bringing hope to those [who need it most].” Isn’t
that what Matthew is pulling no punches in saying?
To be a Christian is to be a follower of Jesus; and to follow Jesus is to
be motivated by Justice-love to bring about the divine Community, the Kin-dom
of God, where justice and hope are offered to all. The result of such
important work will be our reward.
Alone, we couldn’t do it; but together, we can encourage one another and
offer those refreshing cups of water when they are needed, so that our witness
of inclusion and empowerment continues to be heard. As we answer this call, we
are changing our world; we are getting closer to ushering in the
Commonwealth of God where the sacred value of every person is affirmed and
where no one is left out.
This is the Good News. Amen.